


He Might be Your Father, but he's not Your Dad

by The_Degu



Series: The Not Yours Universe [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Blood, Cussing, Dad Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Derogatory Language, Gabe is a good dad, Gang Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jack Being an Asshole, Jesse's biological father, Major Character Injury, Near Death Experiences, Not Beta Read, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reyes family, Tags Contain Spoilers, younger sister sombra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-15 11:49:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11230320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Degu/pseuds/The_Degu
Summary: Jesse has lived with his adopted father, Gabriel, for ten years now, and he is as happy as he has ever been. until he gets a note in the mail that changes everything.





	1. The letter

**Author's Note:**

> second fic, still no beta reader, and dyslexia. so the same warning as last time, idk if this is legible, let me know if it isn't... okay... I may continue this if I feel up to it, but let me know if you like it... okay?

Just like any other day, Jesse got off the bus and started making his way to his house. He raised his hand and waved to the handful of friends that couldn't drive themselves yet so they still took the bus along with him. It was a good day today, no pop quizzes, Jesse aced his Spanish exam, and he got the cute foreign-exchange student to talk to him.

  
Looking at the small one-story abode in front of him, only brightened his mood more. The black Humvee in the driveway told him that his dad was home (maybe he’ll let me practice driving tonight), and the lack of multi-colored flashes from the family room told him that his younger sister was not. The house itself was taken care of but needed a new coat of paint on the slatted siding. The lawn was mowed and some overgrown shrubs that thrived on neglect and were about it when it came to landscaping. A broken concrete path led to the front door from the sidewalk that ran parallel to the driveway.

  
On his way. Up to the house, Jesse grabbed the mail from the mailbox, and absentmindedly flicked through the pile in his grasp. Junk, junk, bill, junk, bill, Sombra’s tech magazine. He had made it through the front door by the time he came across the letter addressed to him. It was a simple standard envelope with the only thing on the surface being the words: To Joel McCree Jr. Written in unfamiliar handwriting; it was strange, the letter had no other markers other than the name; no return address, no address, and no stamp, just the name.

  
“I’m home pops!” Jesse shouted into the house. He could distantly hear the sound of Gabe typing furiously on his computer in the master bedroom. Gabe had been spending more time at home since he got shot at work, it fucked up one of his lungs pretty bad along with his heart. But he was able to keep his job at the police department as a deceive, but it drove him crazy that he couldn’t go into the field anymore. Jesse understood his dad’s frustration, but he was also relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about getting a call from the department letting him know that his dad had been shot again.

  
Jesse ran his fingers over the letter, how the hell do they know my old name. Jesse thought to himself, I haven’t been called that in a long time. With this Jesse, decides that this was enough suspense, and unceremoniously tore open the letter.The letter was written on simple printer paper, in the same ink that the address was written in. the handwriting itself was legible, but a few of the words had been scratched out, along with a few coffee stains dripped on the surface. It read:

  
_Dear Joel McCree Jr. or as you are now known, Jesse McCree Reyes._  
_I know that it has been awhile since we last talked, over 10 years! I just wanted to let you know that your old man is out of prison and on parole. I know that the last time we talked, it didn’t end well, and I am hoping that we could start again? There is so much we have to catch up on! I hope that you kept on shooting, you could beat half the guys when you were 5, and if you kept up with it, you can probably out shoot me now! I saw that you hadn’t outgrown your cowboy faze though, not that it is a bad thing, actually it made it a lot easier to find you. “Just look for the cowboy hat” I told myself, when I started looking for you, and guess my surprise when you still wore one!_  
_Anyways, to get to my point my therapist said that it would be good for me to rekindle good family relationships, you know, something stable and grounded. I hope that I can do this with you. We could even get that little girl that lives with you to come with us! Wouldn’t that be great! A new family just the three of us, out on our own, facing the world, I would love to do that! And I hope you would to._  
_Sincerely, Joel McCree Sr._

  
Jesse dropped the letter on the floor, he could feel the blood drain from his face. His knees threatened to give out from underneath him, and the contents of his stomach threatened to spill over the floor. How did he find me? Fear ran through him like electricity. The letter didn’t have an address, he must have brought it here himself, he knew who Som' was, and what I look like. Jesse’s blood felt like ice, he thought that that part of his life was over and that man would be locked up for good; that he would never see that ugly mug ever again. But Jesse was wrong, and this letter proved it that. That man was here and he knew where Jesse was.

  
He ran to his room locking the door behind him. Jesse tore through his closet moving things out of the way as fast as his arms could let him panic fully taking hold. With a pile of clothes, old magazines, and other things that found their way to the bottom of his closet, thrown out, and once there was just enough room and Jesse crawled inside. He braced his back to the wood paneling in the back of the closet, and his feet to the door. Jesse choked back a sob. He was so scared, there was no logic left in his brain as he barricaded himself in his closet.

* * *

Gabriel was vaguely aware of Jesse arriving home from school when he heard the front door open  
“I’m home pops!” he heard from the front room. Gabe grunted in reply, knowing fully well that Jesse couldn’t hear him from his room. Morrison has been up his ass recently about some paperwork that hadn’t been filed correctly years ago. It wasn’t even his fault that one of his men misplaced the paperwork in the first place!

  
Gabe didn’t understand what caused his old friend to change so much over the past few years he was a completely different man than the one he spent three active tours with. It started when Jack got promoted to chief of their district, then worsened after the accident. It was like Jack thought that he was better than his Gabe just because he had one more stripe on his uniform.  
The sound of a door slamming broke Gabriel from his thoughts. He was not in the mood to have Jesse being an anxiety teen today. He rolled back from his desk rubbing his tired eyes as he did so. He mentally went through what they had in the fridge trying to think of something to make for dinner. Making his way down the hall he gently checked the door handle to Jesse’s room, locked. Gabe raised an eyebrow at this, and knocked on the door, no response. He rolled his eyes shucking up the mood swing to teenage hormones. Walking into the living room Gabe finds that Jesse left his bag in the middle of the walkway along with a pile of dropped mail

.  
Gabe swore under his breath as he picked up the mail. there was an open letter, facedown, on the top of the pile. He scanned the contains of the letter. Gabe’s stomach sank through the floor as he ran to Jesse door. He pulled out his phone while running his hand over the top of the doorframe, coursing as he couldn’t find the key.  
He did though through shaking hands manage to text Jack:

  
_Need a cruiser at the house, no lights or sirens. Send one to Mrs.Song’s house as well. Will give more info in a minute_.

  
Gabe felt his phone buzz in his pocket as he finally found the door key. He just hoped that Jack took him seriously. He ignored the continuing buzzing in his pocket as he entered the room, scanning it for danger. Their was nothing beyond The room looking like a tornado went through it, with clothes scattered any which way. The only sound being the faint sniffling coming from the closet, anyone else would have missed the sound of the hushed sobs, but Gabe didn’t. He carefully made his way to the folding doors and knocked.

  
“Jesse?” Gabriel almost whispered, “can I come in?”

  
A moment passed with no sound, then finally after what seemed like an eternity the door slowly opened. Gabe didn’t wait for the door to open any more than a few inches before falling to his knees and pushing it the rest of the way open.

  
Jesse was a wreck in every since of the word. His nails were bitten so close to the quick that some of them were bleeding, tears stained his face, and his pupils, with even being in a dark closet were pinpoints.

  
“oh, Jesse…” Gabe sighed, while grabbing him around his shoulders. Jesse resisted only for a moment then fell limp into his adopted father’s arms, sobbing like a small child. This scene was all too familiar to Gabe, so similar to when the two first met. A child holding a gun that was longer then his arm tears streaking his bruised and emaciated face. That kid later on asking to sleep in his bunk with him, then giggling hysterically when they secretly played cowboys and Indians together. The kid that cried until he was twelve whenever there was a thunderstorm or fireworks, because he thought that it was someone shooting at him. and the kid that punched a bully in the face when he was ten because the bully was calling a girl a terrorist, because of her skin color.

  
Jesse’s pushing back snapped Gabe out of his memories. Gabe let go slightly, only enough to let Jesse have enough room to speak.

  
“h-how did he find me?” Jesse stammered “I thought that he was locked away forever, you said that he would be!”

  
“I really don’t know hijo, but I am sure as hell not letting him get to you, do you understand that? I got him once I can do it again, and if he even lays a finger on you, he is going to die.” Gabriel stated, the determination in his eyes and voice made sure that he wasn’t joking or exaggerating in the slightest “I would sooner die then let him hurt you”


	2. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reyes family has a discussion over dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some sis Som' for this chapter. not supper familiar with her character so she is probably occ. the same warnings as before I don't have a beta reader and I do have dyslexia, so it would not surprise me if this is illegible. I also added a chapter to the list and a few new tags that you should probably read if you are easily triggered.

Gabe didn’t know how long he and Jesse had been sitting on the floor, but it was long enough for Jesse to fall asleep in his grasp.  Even though his back screamed, and his legs ached, Gabriel did not dare get up. Even in the quiet pace of the room Gabe boiled in anger; He hated seeing his son so fearful, he hated that that asshole had come back and that he had the audacity to contact Jesse. He gritted his teeth in anger _I should have put a bullet in his head when I had the chance._

His phone buzzed in his hand, it was starting to run low on battery being at 3%, and the constant checking and texting did not help that fact.

G _: Need a cruiser at the house, no lights or sirens. Send one to Mrs. Song’s house as well. Will give more info in a minute._

J: _???_

G: _ok, so Mccree sr is apparently out of prison._

J: _how did you find this out?_

G: _he came to my house jack. And he knows Jesse is here, he also knows avbout sombra_

J: _ok, ok the cars have been sent out, did he threaten you or jess? Did you see him?_

G: _no he left a letter here, he must have done it when I was out. He didn’t threaten Jesse but that’s beyond the point. We don’t want him here._

J: _i understand that, but as long as he is abiding by his parole and not breaking any laws, we can’t do anything about it. We’ll keep cars at your place until we know more okay?_

G: _Thanks jack._

G: _wait how do you know he’s on parole?_

G: _Jack_

G: _Jack_

G: _Jack_

_G: how did you know that he was on parole???_

J: _I got a letter about a month ago from the prison in Arizona that he got out because of his “good behavior” and some other bull, the judge was apparently one of those ‘bleeding heart’ types_

G: _WHAT you knew that that asshole was out and you didn’t think that I should know??? Do you know what he did to Jesse? That He said he was going to kill Jesse!_

J: _yes Gabe I was their during the trial too, I knew that you had a vendetta against him and you would probably do something stupid if I told you._

J: _and how was I supposed to know that he would find Jesse, he is in WPP for a reason and he is living with you. I dint know this was going to happen So don’t you dare blame me for this_

Gabriel wanted to through his phone across the room when he read the last message, but instead he decided to write a few chose words. But He did through his phone when it ran out of battery half-way through the text. It hit one of the walls with a thud, then landed on a pile of laundry on the other side of the room.

The sound of the front door opening broke Gabe out of his current daydream.  He heard the sound of a bag getting thrown on the floor then dissented footsteps wander through the house.

“Gabe?” a female voice rang out.

            “I’m in Jesse’s room” Gabriel called back, then he jostled Jesse slightly wakening him up. The teen stirred from his nap, pushing away from his dad when he found himself in the older man’s lap.

            “how long was I out?” Jesse asked while rubbing one of his eyes

“I don’t know, my phone died, but if I had to guess maybe an hour?” Gabriel answered. After a moment of comfortable salience Gabe got up from the floor with a groan, with Jesse fallowing him up.  He stretches his angry body causing another pained grunt.

“I'm getting too old for this shit” Gabe said with a half huff half laugh. “we’ll figure this out, I already have a few ideas. But let’s have some dinner first”

With this the two headed out of Jesse’s room and into the small kitchen.  Jesse plopped himself onto one of the bar stools at the island and Gabe began rummaging through the freezer looking for something to eat.  Gabe finally pulled out a family size frozen lasagna and shrugged.  It only took five minutes for the dish to be placed into the oven.  The two men sat in selinene as dinner cooked, both of them deep in thought, and both not knowing quite what to say. 

“what cha’ doin’” a voice cut through the silence like a knife. Jesse about jumped out of his skin, and Gabe couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle as a thirteen-year-old girl seemed to pop up out of no ware.

“just making dinner” Gabriel stated. “and you redid your highlights”

“yea! Hana helped me! We destroyed her bathroom, and Mrs. Song was so mad you should have seen her face!”  Sombra burst into laughter. Gabe ran his hand over his face, he never looked forward to talking to Mrs. Song, now he had to deal with his daughter ‘destroying’ her bathroom. Sombra continued talking about her day bringing down the tension in the room considerably as the lasagna cooked.

It was nice having another body in the house, even if Sombra she still refused to call Gabriel dad, or anything along those lines. The thirteen-year-old meshed into the family like a missing puzzle piece.  It was only two years ago that he had taken the pre-teen into his house, the girl hating everything and everyone, and afraid of being lost in the system. Gabe remembers the day he came home and heard her laughing for the first time. she was trying to teach Jesse how to code, and falling miserably. He somehow locked his computer in a loupe of an old video of a pug running into a glass door, and Som’ refused to help him get out of it. It wasn’t long after that when she started calling Gabe by his name, and not reaper or ass-hat. it was a small victory at the time but everything with the girl had been an uphill battle.  Even now she is constantly being called into the principal’s office for her pranks of for hacking into the system to change her grades. after a while Gabe figured out that she was just too smart, and looking for a challenge and once he figured that out it became a lot easier to control her.  So, there she was with new purple highlights in her hair, currently climbing on Jesse like a jungle gym trying to steal his hat.

 It was their routine if she got his hat, he set the table, and if could keep away until she gave up (which was never) she would. It felt so normal, the two laughing away Jesse keeping his trademark hat just out of reach of his sister’s grasp. She gave a small victory dance when she finally won their game then plopped the hat back on Jesse’s head.

            It stayed like this for an hour, like nothing ever happened; the dinner table was set, lasagna cooked and served, wrestling matches sewn throughout. Like any other night, dinner started Gabe said grace to himself while the two teens dug in with reckless abandon. 

But it wasn’t like any other night, Gabriel tried to relax, but he kept taking notes of his surroundings, always keeping an eye on the front, and back door. Staying on edge always taking note of the nearest weapon if he needed to use it. It was going to be a long night.

            “so, Jesse…” Sombra interrupted half way through the meal “who’s this Joel guy?”

            the color in Jesse’s face falls away. Gabe sighs _of course she would ask._

            “my seamen donor” Jesse says with a half of a laugh “an asshole to the enth degree”

            “Joel… is Jesse’s biological father” Gabriel explains “he is not a good man, someone that shouldn’t be on the streets.”

“I got that form Jesse’s explanation” Sombra states sarcastically “but _who_ is he?”

            Gabe looks at Jesse silently asking for permission.  Jesse gestures as if to say, ‘go on’. Gabe sighs he was not looking forward to _this_ conversation.

            “Joel McCree Sr. was the leader of a gun and drug running operation out of New Mexico” Gabe starts “a murderer, pimp, drug dealer and has probably broken every law that sends people to jail for life. The last time Jesse saw him was during his trial, and Jesse testified against him…”

            “he threatened to kill me...”  Jesse interjected “said that I'm a snitch and that people that betrayed deadlock died, didn’t matter who they were or how old”

            Jesse was visibly shaking now, Gabe walked over and wrapped an arm around his son and continues “Jesse was six when I found him. The gang was big enough that the military had to get evolved, and I was a caption on one of the squads that went to take it down.  Found Jess in one of the rooms holding a gun looking like all of the other members except for being smaller.  I picked him up and never let him go…”

            Jesse smiled at the last comment, leaning ever so slightly into Gabe’s grasp.

            “what about his mom” Sombra asked “was she part of the gang?”

            “Jesse’s mom was…” Gabriel struggled to find the right words

            “a crack whore,” Jesse found the words for him “died when I was two, chocked on her own vomit. Joel was her supplier, and he figured’ I looked enough like him so he took me in. thought that it was the best thing ever when it happened, he was the embodiment of ‘my dad can beat up your dad’.  Then he started beating me, then I saw my first dead body when I was three, saw someone killed in front of me by the time I was five. Then he had me shooting dogs and anything that came on the gang’s turf when I was four. I was the whole gang’s punching bag, never enough to die from, but anything else was fair game”

            with the last statement Jesse pulled down his shirt slightly to show the circular burn scars on his shoulders and neck.  Sombra’s eyes were like saucers it seemed like less than a second when she came around the table and wrapped her arms around her brother.

            “okay,” Sombra stated as she jumped back “how are we going to wreck this guy,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's my Tumblr if you want it  
> thedegu.tumblr.com (regular blog)  
> degusart.tumblr.com (art blog)


	3. A Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> someone comes for a visit.

It had been a week since the letter had come, and nothing had happened since. Well that’s not true Gabe had sent out a request for Jesse to get a restraining order, but the court date was still days away.  He had also gotten a bottle of pepper spray for the boy, but seeing that they were not permitted within his school it did little to help Jesse’s anxiety when coming home every day. Jesse skipped school the day after, but returned the next. An officer from the department Gabe worked at who was also a trusted family friend, drove him on the days Gabe couldn’t. as time passed the memory of that day gets further and further away, with it being like a dream now. 

When the weekend rolled around it was as if it almost hadn’t happened.  Som’ is spending the weekend with Hana ‘studding’.  Gabe had taken the weekend off to spend time with Jess, and though he wouldn’t admit it the older man was still afraid to leave his son’s side. It was so close to being normal, if Jesse closed his eyes, he didn’t see the memories of his past life.

  Jesse and Gabe were in the living room watching an Eastwood movie when Gabe reeved a call. When he looked at his phone he let out a low grumble that Jesse knew all too well.

“you do know that I'm taking this weekend off.”  Gabe said when he answered the phone not even bothering to say hello.  There was a moment as the person on the other line talked. “no, I'm **not** coming in today”

“…”

 “yes, I understand jack, and I appreciate that you want my assistance on the case but there is nothing that I could do today that I can’t do on Monday”

“…”

“really Jack you’re going to pull rank on me? You know why I don’t want to come over… FINE! I’ll be there in fifteen.”

Gabe was half tempted to throw his phone, but knew that if he did it probably wouldn’t survive. Instead he slammed it on the nearby coffee table while running his hand over his face cursing under his breath.

“gotta go in” Gabe grumbles while grabbing his things “I’ll hopefully be home before twelve”

Jesse doesn’t say anything as Gabe finishes getting himself together, he just sits on the couch, silently watching the movie unfold in foront of him.  it wasn’t abnormal for Jack to call in Gabe on his weekends off, but he always let Gabe have his time with his family.  Jesse put it up to jack’s growing hatred of his dad, but that didn’t mean that he excused it anymore.

Gabe leans down and kisses his son’s head “see ya’ later, and- “

“don’t open the doors for nobody” Jesse finished his father’s sentence. Gabe chuckles and ruffles Jesse’s hair as he walks away.  The door clicks behind Gabe followed shortly by the sound of the Humvee roaring to life.

 Jesse was alone. He finished the movie he had watched a hundred times before; then started the next in the series half-heartedly watching with his mind elsewhere. His thoughts didn’t dwell on any single thing for long, mostly just wandering between schoolwork and things he had read on the internet the day before. It was just past midnight when he fell asleep on the couch, fifteen minutes into The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

 

* * *

 

The credits were roiling when he woke with a start. A feeling of dread creeped over his skin, indeterminate anxiety rolled in his gut. Jesse scanned the dimly-lit room, but found it as empty as it was when he fell asleep.  Jesse grabbed his phone and shot a text to Gabe, asking when was he going to get home. 

Jesse stayed like on the couch for a few minutes, running different options through his head.  _go to the kitchen and get a knife, or to my room and get my pepper spray,_ Jesse thinks, but his thoughts are cut off when somebody enters the room. 

Jesse feign sleeping, trying his best as the stranger walks towards him.  Due to the lack of light, all that Jesse could make out in the second he saw the man, was that he was very tall and thin.  Jesse feels the weight of the man sit down at the other end of the couch, Jesse suppresses the urge to scream. they stay like that for what feels like an eternity, until the man shifts slightly at the other end, then the ghosts his hand over Jesse’s face.

“Joel, it’s time to go home” a deep voice with the gravel of a fifty-year smoker whispers into Jesse’s ear. He couldn’t take it anymore Jesse snapped up and started to sprint away. But the man was faster than the teen, tackling him to the ground.

It was like looking at in a mirror, if that mirror aged someone forty years, with thirty of them in the gutter. The man was clean-shaven but had the same mop of hair that Jesse sported, along with the same sharp jawline and dark eyes.

“Get the FUCK off me!” Jesse screamed in the man’s face

“what, not happy to see your old man?” Joel asked “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long Joey. So many years, and nothing from you, not even a letter, not a single ‘I'm not dead’ from you? If I didn’t know better I would think you were trying to avoid me.”

Tears were flowing freely from Jesse’s eyes “p-please don’t hurt me”

“why would I want to hurt you joey? I know it’s not your fault that you couldn’t talk to me. it’s that man, what’s his name Gabriel? He kept you from me, he took you from me! Your own pa’ who could do anything like that! People like that are the real criminals.”

Jesse was sobbing into the carpet as Joel talked “now I'm goanna let ya’ up now, and if ya’ try to run off again your goanna have words with peacemaker here”

With the last word Joel placed the gun in font of Jesse, letting him know what exactly he was taking about. Jesse nodded as best as he could while being pressed into the carpet. Joel slowly climbed off of Jesse, and offering to help him up off the floor. Joel kept the gun in his hand, finger off of the trigger, but always in hand.

“so, where do you keep your duct tape?”

* * *

 

it was another half an hour, until they spoke again. Joel had sat Jesse down on one of the dining room chairs and taped his hands behind him.  Jesse’s back was to the dining room table, and was facing the front door, he was in plain sight of whoever would walk in.  Joel moved a chair to the side of the doorframe that connected the kitchen to the main hall and sat down. He laid his gun across his lap and leaned back slightly and sighed.

At the moment of Joel’s eyes being off of him, Jesse reached as far under the table as he could and felt the knife Gabe had taped there years ago.  Feeling the blade, it was an old serrated steak knife, so it would be loud if he used it.

He needed Joel to talk.

“why?” Jesse asked. Joel shot straight up at the words, smile creeping across his face.

“why what?” Joel asked innocently.

“why tie me up?” Jesse asked, taking the first swipe at the tape binding his hands.

“well I don’t want ya’ messing up my plans.” Joel started “I when were in prison, I read lots, not much else to do. An’ I read about this thing called Stockholm syndrome. It’s when, someone is with someone else for so long that they start believing what they are saying are true, and when I read this, oh ho! When I read this, I knew that that is what happened to ya’ll”

Jesse wanted to vomit when he heard Gabe’s name come out of Joel’s mouth, and he continued “because what else could cause someone to say something so untrue about their own pa’.  I mean were flesh and blood, and you just went and testified ageist me? That just doesn’t happen ta healthy people! So, I know this guy had to have done this to ya’ll, and I want him to suffer fer what he done.”

Jesse was half way through his bindings, when if as on cue, the sound of a heavy engine comes up the driveway. Jesse’s heart sinks as Joel slowly stands up and presses his finger to his lips to shush Jesse, then raises his gun. It clicked in time with the door unlocking and Jesse tore through the rest of his bindings.

It all happened at once, but it felt like slow-motion to Jesse.  Gabe took two steps through the doorway, and Joel turned the corner aiming at Gabriel’s head.  Jesse was leaping out of the chair and sprinting as fast as he could, he could see Joel pressing the trigger of his gun and Jesse acted on instinct.

            He heard the sound of the gun before he felt it. Searing pain flooded his left arm, as he fell to the floor. He clutched his arm tight to his chest as blood poured from it.  He heard the sound of gunfire, but the sound was distant and disjointed. Black dots swarmed his vision, somewhere in his mind he knew that this was very bad, but all he could think about was the pain coursing through his body.

            Someone picked Jesse up. The solid form was comforting, the pain was staring to subside as he was placed gently in a soft place. Through the fog Jesse felt something wrap around his damaged arm ( _when did I let go of that?)._

“this is going to hurt hijo” a comforting voice rang through jess’s haze

            “Gabe? What-” Jesse cut himself off by his own scream, and for a split second the world was sharp again. He was in Gabe’s car, and the man was hovering over him, covered in blood his dark hoodie stuck to his skin from it ( _is that all mine?)_. but that didn’t scare Jesse the look on Gabe’s face did, it was pure fear, his face was pale and tears threated to leak down his face. That made Jesse scared. 

            Gabe ran to the other side of the car and through on the lights and sirens. though by the time they were down the driveway Jesse was starting to lose consciousness again, he heard Gabriel pleading with him to stay awake, and he tried his hardest to do so but… he was just so tired, and a little nap wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay! another chapter! I liked how this one came out, I was going to have something along the lines of going to Gabe's POV at the end but I decided that that would be enough for another chapter. so you guys get another chapter because of that! yay again!   
> also like always, it wouldn't surprise me if this is illegible, so let me know if it is.  
> also, also, thanks for all of the kudos! it is really inspiring having the feedback.  
> also, also, also, here's my Tumblr if you want it  
> thedegu.tumblr.com (regular blog)  
> degusart.tumblr.com (art blog)


	4. A Reunion Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe returns home to find someone in his house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get ready for pain >:3c

When Gabriel received the text from Jesse, he immediately knew that something wasn’t right. It’s not that he hadn’t worked longer then he thought he would before, and it wasn’t even that he hadn’t received texts like this before. Just call it father’s intuition but something felt very wrong.

“fuck it” Gabe swore under his breath. He had at least two more hours of work at this crime scene but he needed to get home.  Without a word to his coworkers he jumped into his car and floored it home. He could hear the constant ringing of his phone, the familiar sound of Jack’s tone filling the car.  Gabe ignored everyone.

It was the middle of the night so the roads were empty, but the investigation was on the other side of town. It still took what felt like ages, but in all actuality in was only half an hour to get from one side of the small town to the other. 

By the time Gabe pulled into his driveway he had twenty-three missed calls and about fifty texts from jack.  He gave them a once over most of it was just Jack cursing him out and calling him names along with other ‘nice’ things.  Gabe rolled his eyes at the messages, he knew that jack needed him on the force more then he hated him.

Gabe jumped out of the car and started his way towards the house, but stopped about half way. Something was bugging the back of his mind, so he ran back to his truck and popped the truck. The familiar weight in his hands Gabe felt much better.

Glancing through the window into the family room Gabe saw the DVD menu of the good, bad and ugly flicking through the blinds.  The house seemed fine, nothing out of the ordinary. Gabe sighed, the thought of going back to work crossing his mind, but he decided that it wouldn’t hurt anything to just check in.  The front door was still locked, that eased his mind some.

The door opened and Gabe stepped in. He saw Jesse right in front of him rushing forward arms outstretched.  But it wasn’t for a hug.

The next seconds passed in a rush. There was a bang then Jesse was on the ground, and someone was standing over him.  Gabe’s heart sank, and for a stunted millisecond him and the stranger just looked at Jesse writhing on the ground in pain.  Then Gabe’s training took over.

The sound of another gunshot rang through the house, but it wasn’t form the stranger’s pistol it was from the shotgun in Gabe’s hand.

The man tried to shelter himself behind the wall that he was hiding behind before but Gabe wasn’t fazed. Gabe wanted to ask why, Or who; or anything that his police training would call for but one word only came to mind.

“Die! Die! Die!” he shouted between shotgun blasts.

The man tried to run, or beg but all Gabe could see was red. He only stopped when the intruder was nothing more than a mutilated mess on the carpet. Gabe looked at the mess that was once Joel McCree sr. he had a hole where his chest one was. Gabe just stared at the mess for some time only breaking out of his stupor when he heard the anguished cry of Jesse on the floor beside him.

He was clutching he arm to his chest.  Or what was left of his arm, everything below the elbow was only hanging on by a shred of skin.  He was lousing too much blood. Gabe lifted Jesse and ran to his car, he would be dead by the time an ambulance got there.  When Gabe’s got to the car his hoodie was soaked to his skin, this was not good.  Without another thought Gabe tore off his belt and wrapped it around Jesse’s tattered flesh.

“this is going to hurt hijo” Gabe tried to comfort his son.

“Gabe? What-” then Gabe pulled the makeshift tourniquet hard, the sound of Jesse’s scream would haunt him for years to come. It was one thing when it was one of your comrades on the field of war, but completely different when it is your own son in your own house. And yet it was the same and Gabe was grateful for his time in the army so that he did know what to do now. 

“you need to stay awake for me jess” Gabriel pleaded “don’t fall asleep on me”

Jesse didn’t respond.

Gabe jumped in to the driver’s seat and threw on the lights and sirens. He floored it out of the driveway and down the empty streets. On the way, he grabbed the radio and turned it to the emergency room’s channel and almost screamed into it “this is detective Gabriel Reyes is someone their”

The half a second of static made his heart sink. He didn’t dare look over at Jesse, he needed to just keep moving. The static broke “yes someone is here detective, what seems to be the problem”

“J-Jesse’s been shot, and, and he’s lost a lot of blood. I'm in my SUV on the way to the emergency room, ETA five minutes… SHIT I don’t know if he’ll last that long, please be ready for me.”

Gabe got there in two minutes, and the emergency staff was ready for them. They had Jesse on a gurney and into the building within seconds, even before Gabe was out of the car. He ran in behind them past the swinging doors. But someone was in front of him a girl no older than twenty but in full hospital gear.

“sir you cannot go any further” she states plainly, when Gabe ignores her and tries to push pass she firmly stands her ground placing her hands on his chest and state again but this time with more force “sir you **cannot** go any further, I'm sorry”

“he’s my son! He needs me! He-he-h-” Gabe falls to his knees and sobs. “I-I can’t lose him…”

“we’ll do our best, now please fallow me” the woman helps Gabe up and leads him to a back sitting room. Gabe finds his way to one of the too-small chairs and sits. His tears have dried by that time now it is mostly jut a vague feeling of shock. Gabe also finally takes a long look at the woman that lead him back, her blond hair is pulled up into a messy bun, and her blue eyes have a heaviness that only belongs to someone that hasn’t slept for days.

“if you need anything let me now, okay?” the woman asks, “just ask for doctor Angela Ziegler okay?”

“you’re young for a doctor.” Gabe says, trying to make up for his outburst “not that that’s a bad thing!”

she laughs slightly “I am only a resident, but, I am still young either way. And I will take it as a complement.”

with a sad smile and a wave dr. Ziegler leaves. And Gabe is alone

* * *

 

half an hour passes without any word. Angela came by once with a cup of coffee, which Gabe takes gladly. Then he was alone again with his thoughts.  He stares into the cup letting the heat warm his hands and the steam hit his face. The bubbles drift to the edge slowly ( _its goanna rain here soon)._

“you look like shit” a familiar grating voice breaks Gabe from his trance, and looks up. Jack’s smirk breaks when he sees how broken his old friend looks “Jesus what happened”

Gabe shakes his head “Joel happened. He got Jesse.”

“Christ I'm so sorry Gabriel I-I didn’t” Jack stammers

“leave.” Gabe demands

“what?”

“leave before I do something stupid” Gabriel makes eye contact for the first time since Jack came in. Jack raises his hands in defense and gives his award-winning puppy dog smile.

“hay were all friends here” Jack tries to calm the situation.

“we haven’t been friends in years jack, and you know it” Gabriel states flatly.

“I'm just trying to help Gabe, isn’t that worth something?”

“if you want to help go to my house and get me a change of clothes” Gabe states “and get Som’, she deserves to be here too”

            “okay” Jack says barely above a whisper “really I am sorry”

            “GET OUT!” Gabriel screams and throes his now cold cup of coffee at the other man “GET THE FUCK OUT!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow this chapter got away from me (in a good way) I was expecting it to be at most seven hundred words but look at this! almost twice as much! I actually wrote this whole chapter in one writing session so thats cool.  
> also I'm thinking on continuing this universe with either a sequel or a prequel. and I want your insight on this.  
> the prequel would probably be a one or a two shot about Jesse's life with the deadlock gang and his rescue. mostly just more dad Gabe figuring things out.  
> then the sequel would be life after this (spoilers) probably being muiti-chapter. with some good ol' fashion Mchanzo and more dad Gabe but in a different way.  
> so let me know what you want either here or on my tumblr thedegu.tumblr.com I'm most likely going to do both of these eventually , BUT I am leaving for Collage in August and I doubt I will be posting that often.


	5. a new life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse made it through the ordeal with his father, but at what cost?

The warm black sheet that wrapped Jesse an all sides was comforting. He never wanted to leave. It was so peaceful, so comfortable. Nothing else mattered, it was all just the dark, and the comfort within it.

            A woman in all white walked through the darkness, but it was no longer dark, it was bright, almost blindingly so. Her chestnut hair flowed to her waist and her dark eyes almost looked shocked to see Jesse, though the also had a peace to them.  She covered her mouth and just stared at him for a moment. Then she walked towards Jesse steps so light that they she looked like she was floating off of the ground.

            The strange woman wrapped Jesse in a tight embrace. He didn’t reciprocate the hug until he felt the tears fall onto his shoulder. He wanted to say something but it felt like something was in his mouth and throat blocking the words. The woman pushed away wiping her tears on her long sleeve a smile across her face but an underlying sadness with it.

            When she finally spoke, her soft words were like caramel, rich and warm like the everything else in this place. She said “I am so happy to see you, hijo, but it is not your time. I wish that you could stay but you are too young, and you have so much to do in the world yet.”

            Jesse had a thousand questions but again, he found himself unable to speak. The woman leaned in again wrapping her arms around Jesse one more time and kissed Jesse on the cheek.

            “I love you…”

then the vision faded and turned dark once again.  Jesse could have been in that realm of darkens for seconds, days, years, time simply does not exist. Then the darkness fades some and time exists again. Jesse open’s his eyes and immediately regrets it. The room is filled with light but not the warm glow like before but the cold buzzing of florescent lights. 

He groaned and reached to cover his eyes but was stopped by a hand holding his. He looks to see the figure of his Gabe hunched in a chair head resting on his other hand. The older man is sound asleep and by the looks of it he needed it. Deep dark circles hang under Gabe’s eyes, his usually pristine goatee overgrown and the rest of his face fuzzy from neglect. He looked like shit.

Jesse tried to talk but only broken and crackling sounds come from his underused vocal chords. But it was enough to stir Gabriel form his sleep. He cracked an eye open and scanned the room, Jesse tried to talk again but again he could make little more than a slight gurgle in the back of his throat. Gabe’s head immediately swivels to Jesse and a soft smile stretches across his face. Gabe brushes Jesse’s face with his finger then through the teen’s greasy hair. He looks star struck eyes welling slightly until finally he lets out a soft sob and leans into Jesse.

Jesse tries to wrap his arms around the big lug but his right currently squished under Gabe all he could do is bring his left arm up.  But he didn’t feel the embrace he was expecting, Jesse furrowed his brow and looked over to see what was stopping his left arm from wrapping around his dad.  He started hyperventilating when he saw it, or the lack of it. His left arm was missing, from just above the elbow it was just gone. Jesse tried desperately to flex and squeeze his missing limb, and he could _feel_ it moving but there was still nothing there, just a bandaged stump.

“Jesse, Jesse!” Gabe had pulled away from his son now and was shaking him slightly, trying to bring him back from his stupor.

“s- gone” Jesse croaks out, “ma’ arm’s gone”

Gabe nods solemnly “the trauma was too extensive, and they didn’t want to risk putting you through the operation.”

“what does that mean?” Jesse asked a little harsher then how he meant it but the point came though

“you died on us… twice.” Gabe explained “You lost a lot of blood”

Gabe looked like he was going to continue but there was a soft knock at the door.  
            “come in” Gabe calls to person on the other side of the door. Jesse can’t help but smile when the person opens the door. Two people stand there one of which runs to the bed and hugs Jesse tightly around his neck while the other waits in the doorway smiling gently.

“Jesse!” Sombra almost yells into Jesse’s ear “I'm going it kill you if you do something like that again!”

Sombra leans back Cheshire smile plastered on her face, but her trembling hands betray her confidence. She sits on the bed immediately pulling out her phone and snaps a selfie with Jesse sitting and awake in the background. After her impromptu photo shoot, she begins tapping away at the device, do doubt sending the picture to everyone she knows.

The woman that came in with Sombra hands Jesse a cup of water, witch he takes graciously. The cool liquid soothes his throat remarkably and makes it much easier to talk. The nurse asks a few questions witch Jesse answers to the best of his ability. She is kind and patient with Jesse, but by the end of the interview he could barely keep his eyes open. She smiles softly and bids the family farewell and by the time the door closes Jesse is out like a light

 

days pass like that in and out of consciousness, sometimes Jesse wakes up and the room

is filled with people, other times it is empty and dark. But Gabe is there every time Jesse wakes up, to sooth him during his panic attacks and wake him from dreams. Jesse wakes one time to find that Gabe is not there and that the room is complete void of life besides him and the bouquets of get well soon flowers. He could feel his utter panic take over his barely conscious and heavily drugged mind.

Jesse roles out of bed tarring off the different wires and tubes conceited to his body. The sound of the squawking machines only fuels his anxiety. Jesse somehow was able to half walk half crawl out of his room and end up in the mettle of the hospital hallway; blood dripping from his stump where he landed on it when he fell once, and IV line torn out of his other arm.  He was far from lucid mumbling incoherently about how Gabe was in danger. The nurses had to sedate him fully to get him back in bed, but the damage was done. Gabe didn’t leave Jesse for a long time after that.

 

* * *

 

Days turned into weeks, and Jesse was getting stronger, able to stay up longer and started physical therapy. He never asked what happened to Joel, he knew deep down what happened, but didn’t want the confirmation.  He dreamed more now that he wasn’t getting as much medicine to make him go completely under every time he slept. He dreamt of the woman in white, of Gabe and Sombra, and of Joel’s blank stare: of his dead body on the living room floor. For some reason those were the worst, more than dreams that Gabe died or ones where he was back at deadlock, it was worse because it wasn’t a dream, it was a memory.

The days became longer and harder, due to the lack of sleep, and what felt like constant poking and prodding by the staff of the building. Not to mention the hell sessions that was physical therapy, but he learned how to tie his shoes, shave, and even wash his hair with one hand in the right way.  So many times, he wanted to quit, some days he did, but the next day that damn doctor would come in and make him lift weights, and practice mundane things so that he could do it once he was reelected.

That day felt like it would never come.

* * *

 

It was two months in when Dr. Ana Amari walked in the room with a big smile on her face. Ana was a family friend, she worked in the emergency department of the hospital, and was the one on duty when Jesse came in.  Even though it was against hospital policy she followed him through all of his recovery, helping the other doctors with his bullheadedness and to keep Gabe from killing himself by neglect.

“you’re good enough to go home now” she explained “we’ll still want to see you twice a week for physical therapy. And I also want you to see a physiatrist,”

Jesse wrinkles his nose at the thought of seeing a shrink, but Ana continues “I'm going to give you the number of a friend of mine, he specializes in cases like yours: Of abuse”

“I don’t need a shrink” Jesse says defiantly, physiatrist were for crazy people with no one else to talk to, and Jesse was not crazy.

“Jesse,” Ana states in a motherly tone “people that go through trauma like this, especially from a parent, can cause permeant trauma to your brain.”

Jesse shakes his head, but does take the slip of paper “he may had been my father, but he sure as hell wasn’t my dad”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay the final chapter!!!!  
> thank you so much for reading Not Your Dad, I hopped you liked reading it as much as I did writhing it! I loved how this fic came out, and that so many people enjoyed it! thank you so so so much for your kudos, and comments on this fic it was a blast to write! I hope to continue writing on AO3, this was a great experience with ya'll.  
> as I said before I would like to continue this universe, and sense no one said what they wanted I am going with the second option, witch is a continuation of this fic.


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